Perry Cox and Bruce Kaufman recently released a book on the very specific details of the Colt SP-1 Sporter rifle and carbine. This was Colt's semiauto civilian model of the AR-15/M-16, and they were the only commercial semiauto AR available for many years. Production ran from 1964 until 1984, and the design underwent about a dozen iterations through that time, generally following improvements made to Colt's military line. Cox and Kaufman have done an exceptionally detailed job of tracking these changes, some substantial and some minute, and put together a series of different patterns that SP1 owners and collectors can refer to.

The book begins with a thorough study of the original 1964 pattern, looking at each individual part. It then explains the subsequent changes in each different variation. Following this is some coverage of the accessories to the rifles, like cleaning kits, manual, scopes, slings, making material, and such. Finally, there are two concise reference sections; one a quick reference guide to each variation and one explanation of each iteration organized part. These sections duplicate the content in the main body of the book, but they are great for identifying particular parts of guns by offering the information in several different formats, so you can look something up in the most efficient manner.

Overall, this is information that is too niche and detailed to be put into a more general book on the AR/M16. Anyone interested in the details of SP1 or Colt AR production will find it an excellent reference.

Update: The book currently in its second edition, now 148 pages softcover, and only available directly from the author. Price as of this filming is $36 plus shipping. To place an order, email Perry Cox at [email protected] .